REVIEWS Archives - Page 15 of 574

18Feb

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Spanish Oranges – Playground Theatre

Former Bond girl, Maryam D’Abo is the star turn in Spanish Oranges, a new piece of writing by Alba Arikha, currently showing at the Playground Theatre in W10. The play forms part of Women's Voices: A Celebration (WVAC) an arts festival which is inspired by International Women's Day. This world premiere is D’Abo’s first stage role in 26 years. Instead of seeking the bright lights and glitz of a West End venue, this theatre is a former bus depot that requires a rather lengthy schlep from Latimer Road tube station. D’Abo co-wrote the book Bond Girls Are Forever (2002) and in 2004 she co-produced the documentary film Bearing Witness, about five female war reporters. She had surgery for a brain haemorrhage in 2007 and after recovering, met up with other survivors and produced a 2009 document...

17Feb

By Maani WayNo Comments

London

The Bodyguard – New Wimbledon Theatre

This romantic thriller, adapted from the 1992 film of the same name starring Whitney Houston, returns to the stage this year, reviving her iconic music for a new audience. It follows former Secret Service agent Frank Farmer (Adam Garcia), hired to protect global superstar Rachel Marron (Sidonie Smith) from a dangerous threat. While the pair anticipate a clash of personalities, neither expects their professional relationship to give way to an unexpected and compelling romance. This show is bursting with energy from the start, a loud bang jolting the audience straight to attention at the beginning. The jump scares do not cease, and they present themselves at later points in the show, which work well, particularly when the threat is introduced to us as an obsessed stalker (James-Lee Ha...

17Feb

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

Wales

Glitch – Theatr Clwyd

Written by Zannah Kearns and directed by Gareth Taylor, Glitch is the story of a sub-postmistress, Pam Stubbs, whose life is left in tatters after she is falsely accused of deceiving the Post Office out of thousands of pounds. But with meticulous bookkeeping and the strength to keep fighting for what is right when she knew she had done nothing wrong; she finally receives a positive outcome. But at what cost? Glitch takes us right into the centre of one of the biggest “scandals” when the Post Office brought in the Horizon computer system and when Pam Stubbs, back in 2009, moved into a portacabin while the building underwent a redevelopment. The monthly Trading Statements produced shortfalls on the Horizon system and the Post Office demanded Stubbs pay it back, even though she ha...

17Feb

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

Much Ado About Nothing – Theatre Deli

Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more. A wet and wild production of Much Ado About Nothing has rolled into town to take you for a ride. Without a shirt on its back or an ounce of pretension in its other dressings, this wantonly accessible production throws the audience right into the thick of it. Shakespeare's most obnoxious lovers are back on their bull. Beatrice (Bobby Hughes) and Benedick (Zak Rosen) are capricious, ridiculous, captivating rivals locked in pursuit of the audiences' laughter with hearts bound to fall no matter how much they kick and scream on the way down. This high octane production, rehearsed and performed in only a handful of hours, is relentlessly energetic and powered exclusively by the forceful charisma of its cast. Without a set, costumes, or pr...

17Feb

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

The Flames – Traverse Theatre

The much loved over 50s ensemble group, The Flames return to the Traverse theatre with another verbatim-style, mixed medium show. Produced by Tricky Hat Productions, The Flames uses each ensemble member’s personal memoirs to collate together a story. In this case, the connecting theme of all these individual memoirs was jealousy. Alongside the candid monologues, video and text was projected onto the back wall of the stage. Quotes, presumably taken from the ensemble, were projected - each providing a different outlook on how they define jealousy. As well as this, black and white video of the ensemble was also projected. From raw close-ups that captured a wide-range of expression and emotional depth, to wide shots that artfully superimposed its subjects as...

16Feb

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

(UN)LOVABLE – Traverse Theatre

Scratch nights are, by their very nature, uneven affairs, messy blue prints or gluey models rather than finished buildings. And [UN]LOVABLE at the Traverse Theatre embraced that spirit fully, five short pieces circling the theme of love’s absence, distortion, or bureaucratic assessment. Some were works in progress in the truest sense, one felt ready to walk straight back onstage tomorrow. Clown Divorce Written by Russ Russell and directed by Sarah Docherty, this dark comedy about a clown navigating marital breakdown opened the evening with energy and a knowing wink. Performed solo by Chris Viteri, the piece invited us into a surreal domestic world where divorce proceedings involve greasepaint and emotional pratfalls, and where the profession runs in the family, mother a...

16Feb

By Holly SewellNo Comments

London

Sweetmeats – Bush Theatre

In the aftermath of grief, it’s a long and difficult lesson to re-learn: we’re better off with people than without them. Relationships are tedious, those we love exasperating; loss deepens with age, caution grows. It takes courage to start again when experience tells you the best days are past. Sweetmeats’ Hema and Liaquat, a widow and widower who become unlikely friends when they are forced to pair up as the ‘scary Indian woman’ and ‘irritating Pakistani man’ at their diabetes support group, are no strangers to the pain of love. Character-wise, they complete each other. Shobu Kapoor’s Hema is anxious, health-conscious, self-sufficient; as Liaquat, Rehan Sheikh is a joker, childish, indulgent despite his diagnosis. Playwright Kharim Khan makes fun of them with a brilliant, musical wit; ...

16Feb

By Codie WrightNo Comments

North West

Slamchester – 53two

If there’s one thing I’ve learnt in the past 24 hours, it’s that Manchester has an absolutely electric slam poetry scene - not only Slamchester where I was lucky enough to be a guest last night, but also through the many, many, many dates of events that charismatic host, Kieren King peppered through the night. Slamchester itself is a passionate evening of competitive poetry, where 8 incredible poets have 2 rounds of 3 minutes each to show off their spoken-word work to a raucous crowd and 5 judges. It was amazing to see how full the venue was on a rainy Sunday in February, and the atmosphere was really supportive. The night kicked off with Kieren King explaining the rules and warming up the mic with one of his own poems about his wife. Kieren was a warm host, who clearly cares a l...

16Feb

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

Josh Sharp’s: Ta-Da – Soho Theatre

On a late evening at the Soho Theatre, I quite simply have no idea what to expect. I know this show includes 2000 slideshow pages and our comedian/magician is finally ready to come out. This simple and witty bio could not prepare me for such an incredibly moving, hilarious and slam-dunk performance that was received. Sharp must have a brain of a genius, well he does actually in learning he has a masters in Quantum Physics, he brings us back to the beginning of his life and his dreams of becoming a magician. Moving onto his pact with God and a promise to not practice ‘confirming’ his true sexuality and a deeply moving and beautiful time shared with his late mother who gently bullied him to finally come out. After its run on OffBroadway, London has been gifted the opportunity...

Buddy! The Buddy Holly Story – Hull New Theatre

16Feb

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Buddy! The Buddy Holly Story – Hull New Theatre

So engrossed was I while watching Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story at the Hull New Theatre on Thursday evening, that for a fleeting moment I really felt I was watching the man himself. Ridiculous, of course, as the real Buddy died in a plane crash on February 3rd, 1959. But so impressive was AJ Jenks as the spectacle-wearing rock ’n’ roller, it was difficult not to be transported back to a time when, not only was the music groundbreaking and fantastic, but, hallelujah, every word was clearly audible, meaning the songs were ripe to sing along to. And, over 60 years later, that’s exactly what we in the audience did from the very first note Buddy and his backing group, The Crickets, struck up. Buddy (Jenks) on his guitar and The Crickets - bassist Joe B Mauldin (Melker Nilsson), ...